{"id":2344745,"date":"2024-09-23T10:29:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T14:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-strikes-kill-scores-in-lebanon-as-it-expands-hezbollah-conflict-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-23T10:31:09","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T14:31:09","slug":"israeli-strikes-kill-scores-in-lebanon-as-it-expands-hezbollah-conflict-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-strikes-kill-scores-in-lebanon-as-it-expands-hezbollah-conflict-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli strikes kill scores in Lebanon as it expands Hezbollah conflict &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fisraeli-strikes-kill-scores-in-lebanon-as-it-expands-hezbollah-conflict-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2344745&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on September 23, 2024, resulted in the deaths of over 180 people, marking\u2064 the deadliest\u200c attack since \u2064the 2006 \u2062conflict with Hezbollah. The \u2064Israeli military warned\u2063 residents\u200c in \u200bsouthern Lebanon to evacuate before expanding airstrikes targeting Hezbollah weapon sites. Thousands\u2062 of people fled south,\u2062 causing heavy traffic on evacuation routes. The strikes reportedly impacted \u200daround 300 targets, reaching residential areas and even locations as\u2064 far as Byblos, \u200droughly 80\u200b miles from \u2062the\u200c border.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah retaliated by launching rockets into \u2064northern Israel, claiming to support Palestinian fighters amid ongoing \u2062tensions. \u200dAn\u200d Israeli military spokesman urged immediate\u200d evacuation of\u200c areas known to\u2064 store\u2063 Hezbollah armaments, indicating increasing fears of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/quincy-institute-fellow-worries-israeli-lobby-will-scuttle-new-iran-deal\/\" title=\"Quincy Institute Fellow Worries \u2018Israeli Lobby\u2019 Will Scuttle New Iran Deal\">full-scale war<\/a>. Meanwhile, \u2063the Lebanese Health Ministry\u200b reported a total of 182 casualties\u200d from the strikes and ongoing \u2064operations appear focused on limiting Hezbollah&#8217;s \u2062capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/austin-says-hes-had-no-contact-with-chinese-counterpart\/\" title=\"Austin denies contact with Chinese counterpart.\">situation remains tense<\/a>, with exchanges of fire continuing as both sides escalate their military actions.\u2062 Israeli officials clarified \u2063that their operations \u2062are aimed at curtailing potential future strikes from Hezbollah, while evacuations were prompted by perceived threats to civilian\u2062 areas. The\u2064 violence has led\u200c to \u2062significant displacement and \u200cconcerns over humanitarian\u200d conditions as hostilities intensify.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Israeli strikes kill scores in Lebanon as it expands Hezbollah conflict<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1765673\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Israeli\">Israeli<\/a> strikes on Monday killed more than 180 people in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/lebanon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Lebanese\">Lebanon<\/a> in the deadliest barrage since the 2006 Israel-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hezbollah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Hezbollah\">Hezbollah<\/a> war as the Israeli military warned residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes ahead of a widening air campaign against Hezbollah.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.middleeasteye.net\/news\/israel-orders-residents-lebanon-leave-homes-air-strikes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Thousands of Lebanese fled the south\">Thousands of Lebanese residents fled the south<\/a>, and the main highway out of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-16-dead-after-fire-erupts-at-pakistan-chemical-factory\/\" title=\"Report: 16 dead after fire erupts at Pakistan chemical factory\">southern port city<\/a> of Sidon, Lebanon, was jammed with cars heading toward Beirut in the biggest exodus since the 2006 fighting. More than 400 other people were wounded in the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military announced that it hit some 300 targets Monday, saying it was going after Hezbollah weapons sites. Some strikes hit in the residential areas of towns in the south and the eastern Bekaa Valley. One strike hit a wooded area as far away as Byblos in central Lebanon, more than 80 miles from the border north of Beirut.<\/p>\n<p>The military said it was expanding the airstrikes to include areas of the Bekaa Valley, which is along Lebanon&rsquo;s eastern border. Hezbollah has long had an established presence in the Bekaa Valley, which runs along the Lebanese-Syrian border, and it is where the group was founded in 1982 with the help of Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cars sit in traffic in the southern city of Sidon as they flee the southern villages amid Israeli airstrikes on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo\/Mohammed Zaatari)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said residents of the valley must immediately evacuate areas where Hezbollah is storing weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired dozens of rockets at an Israeli military post in the Galilee. It also targeted for a second day the facilities of the Rafael defense firm, headquartered in Haifa, Israel.<\/p>\n<p>As Israel carried out the attacks, Israeli authorities reported a series of air raid sirens in northern Israel warning of incoming rocket fire from Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier Monday, Israel issued a broad warning urging residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons.<\/p>\n<p>It was the first warning of its kind in nearly a year of steadily escalating conflict and came after a particularly heavy exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah launched around 150 rockets, missiles, and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters.<br \/>There was no sign of an immediate exodus from the villages of southern Lebanon, and the warning left open the possibility that some residents could live in or near targeted structures without knowing that they are risk.<\/p>\n<p>The increasing strikes and counterstrikes have raised fears of an all-out war, even as Israel continues to battle Hamas in Gaza and tries to return scores of hostages taken in Hamas&rsquo;s Oct. 7 attack. Hezbollah has vowed to continue its strikes in solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas, a fellow Iran-backed militant group. Israel says it is committed to returning calm to its northern border.<br \/><em>Associated Press<\/em> journalists in southern Lebanon reported heavy airstrikes targeting many areas Monday morning, including some far from the border.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Emergency workers use excavators to clear the rubble at the site of Friday&rsquo;s Israeli strike in Beirut&rsquo;s southern suburbs in Lebanon on Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lebanon&rsquo;s state-run National News Agency said the strikes hit a forested area in the central province of Byblos, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, for the first time since the exchanges began in October. No injuries were reported there. Israel also bombed targets in the northeastern Baalbek and Hermel regions, where a shepherd was killed and two family members were wounded, according to the news agency. It said a total of 30 people were wounded in strikes.<br \/>The Lebanese Health Ministry put the death toll at 182. It asked hospitals in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley to postpone surgeries that could be done later. The ministry said in a statement that its request aimed to keep hospitals ready to deal with people wounded by &ldquo;Israel&rsquo;s expanding aggression on Lebanon.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>An Israeli military official said Israel is focused on aerial operations and has no immediate plans for a ground operation. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with regulations, said the strikes are aimed at curbing Hezbollah&rsquo;s ability to launch more strikes into Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Lebanese media reported that residents received text messages urging them to move away from any building where Hezbollah stores arms until further notice.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you are in a building housing weapons for Hezbollah, move away from the village until further notice,&rdquo; the Arabic message stated, according to Lebanese media.<\/p>\n<p>Lebanon&rsquo;s information minister, Ziad Makary, said in a statement that his office in Beirut had received a recorded message telling people to leave the building.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This comes in the framework of the psychological war implemented by the enemy,&rdquo; Makary said, and he urged people &ldquo;not to give the matter more attention than it deserves.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>It was not clear how many people would be affected by the Israeli orders. Communities on both sides of the border have largely emptied out because of the near-daily exchanges of fire.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has accused Hezbollah of transforming entire communities in the south into militant bases, with hidden rocket launchers and other infrastructure. That could lead the Israeli military to wage an especially heavy bombing campaign, even if no ground forces move in.<\/p>\n<p>The military said it had targeted more than 150 militant sites early on Monday. Residents of different villages in southern Lebanon posted photos on social media of airstrikes and large plumes of smoke. The state-run National News Agency also reported airstrikes on different areas.<\/p>\n<p>An Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday killed a top Hezbollah military commander and more than a dozen fighters, as well as dozens of civilians, including women and children.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, thousands of communications devices, used mainly by Hezbollah members, exploded in different parts of Lebanon, killing 39 people and wounding nearly 3,000. Lebanon blamed Israel for the attacks, but Israel did not confirm or deny any responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the Oct. 7 attack in what it said was an attempt to pin down Israeli forces to help Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes, and the conflict has steadily intensified over the past year.<\/p>\n<p>The fighting has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and dozens of people in Israel, and it has displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border. It has also sparked brush fires that have destroyed agriculture and scarred the landscape.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has vowed to push Hezbollah back from the border so its citizens can return to their homes, saying it prefers to do so diplomatically but is willing to use force. Hezbollah has said it will keep up its attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, but that appears increasingly elusive as the war nears its anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Some 100 captives continue to be held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released during a weeklong ceasefire in November.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3161140\/group-unarmed-civilians-keep-peace-dc-farmers-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Israel&rsquo;s offensive has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its count. It says women and children make up a little over half of those killed. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants without providing evidence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1765673\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1765673\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Israeli airstrikes on Monday resulted in the deaths of over 180 individuals in Lebanon, marking the most lethal assault since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah conflict. The Israeli military urged residents in southern and eastern Lebanon to evacuate their homes as it escalated its air campaign against Hezbollah. This prompted a mass exodus, with thousands fleeing from southern Lebanon, causing significant traffic congestion on the main highway leading from Sidon to Beirut\u2014the largest such movement since the 2006 hostilities. Additionally, more than 400 people sustained injuries due to the strikes.<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli military reported targeting approximately 300 sites on Monday, focusing on Hezbollah weapon depots. Some attacks struck residential areas in southern towns and parts of the eastern Bekaa Valley, with one strike reaching as far as Byblos\u2014over 80 miles north of Beirut. The military indicated that it was broadening its airstrike operations into regions along Lebanon&#8217;s eastern border where Hezbollah has a strong presence.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari emphasized that residents near Hezbollah weapons storage locations should evacuate immediately. In response, Hezbollah announced it had launched numerous rockets at an Israeli military position in Galilee and targeted facilities belonging to Rafael defense firm for a second consecutive day.<\/p>\n<p>As these attacks unfolded, sirens warning of incoming rocket fire were activated across northern Israel. Earlier that day, Israel issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for southern Lebanese residents living near suspected Hezbollah arms storage sites following intense exchanges of fire over the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>Hezbollah retaliated by firing around 150 rockets and drones into northern Israel after recent strikes killed a senior commander and many fighters within their ranks. Despite this escalation, there was no immediate sign of widespread evacuation from southern villages; some residents may remain unaware they are at risk due to proximity to targeted structures.<\/p>\n<p>The ongoing cycle of strikes has heightened fears of an all-out war while Israel simultaneously confronts Hamas in Gaza amid efforts to secure hostages taken during Hamas&#8217;s October attack. Hezbollah has pledged continued assaults in solidarity with Palestinians and Hamas\u2014a group also backed by Iran\u2014while Israel aims for stability along its northern border.<\/p>\n<p>Reports from Associated Press journalists indicated heavy bombardments across various regions in southern Lebanon early Monday morning\u2014including areas distant from the border\u2014resulting in significant casualties according to local health officials who reported at least 182 fatalities thus far.<\/p>\n<p>In light of these developments, hospitals have been instructed by Lebanon\u2019s Health Ministry to postpone non-urgent surgeries so they can prepare for incoming casualties resulting from what they termed &#8220;Israel\u2019s expanding aggression.&#8221; An anonymous Israeli military official stated that current operations focus primarily on aerial assaults without immediate plans for ground incursions aimed at diminishing Hezbollah&#8217;s capacity for further attacks against Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Lebanese media reported text messages sent out urging civilians near any buildings housing weapons linked to Hezbollah to relocate until further notice\u2014a move described by Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makary as part of a psychological warfare strategy employed by &#8220;the enemy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Communities bordering both nations have largely emptied due to ongoing skirmishes; however, reports suggest that entire neighborhoods have been transformed into militant bases equipped with concealed rocket launchers which could provoke intensified bombing campaigns even without ground troop deployments being initiated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2344746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Hezbollah-rubble-0924.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[41509,41508,23728,41510,32076],"class_list":["post-2344745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-hezbollah-conflict","tag-israeli-strikes","tag-lebanon","tag-military-escalation","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Hezbollah-rubble-0924.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2344745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2344745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2344746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2344745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2344745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2344745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}